Israeli Military Expansion in Syria Heightens Tensions as Buffer Zone Formed

ILLUSTRATION PHOTO/Syrian Conditions/© UNOCHA/Ali Haj Suleiman

Qassim Hamadeh was woken by the sound of gunfire and explosions in his village, Beit Jin, in southwest Syria last month.

Within hours, he lost two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren, aged 4 and 10. The five were among 13 villagers killed that day by Israeli forces.

Israeli forces have raided the village - not for the first time - with the aim of arresting.

Israel said militants fired at the troops, wounding six, and the troops returned fire and called in air support.

As reported by the Associated Press, Monday, December 15, Hamadeh, like other residents of Beit Jin, rejected Israel's claim about militants operating in the village.

Residents say the armed villagers faced Israeli soldiers they consider occupiers, only to be met with Israeli tank and artillery fire, followed by drone strikes. The government in Damascus called it a "massacre."

The air raids and similar actions Israel has recently carried out in Syria have increased tensions, frustrated local residents, and also thwarted the opportunity - despite US pressure - to thaw relations between the two neighboring countries in the near future.

Israeli forces were quick to move to impose a new reality on the ground.

They are being mobilized to a buffer zone mandated by the United Nations in southern Syria, next to the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed - a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Israeli forces set up checkpoints and military installations, including on a hilltop overlooking vast Syrian territory.

They established a landing strip on the nearby strategic Mount Hermon.

Israeli surveillance drones often fly over Syrian cities in the surrounding area, and residents often see Israeli tanks and Humvee vehicles patrolling the area.

English:

English:

English:

Israel says its presence is temporary to clear out the remnants of pro-Assad and militant forces - to protect Israel from attack.

But they gave no indication their troops would leave soon. Talks between the two countries to reach a security deal have so far yielded no results.